Persona 4: Girl's Side
by strawberrybutterflystudios
Summary: When P3P came out with the female protagonist, it gave an interesting and new perspective on the narrative. Here, we are retelling the Persona 4 tale, with an introduction to Miyu Narukami, a new female protagonist who has come across the strange TV world that kills. Please leave a review!
1. Chapter 1: The Velvet Room

**Hello, this is my first fanfic in a really long while. While it's a basic retelling of the game from a female protagonist (P3P style), I may change certain events and lines to fit the situation or better suit the story. Thank you, and please enjoy.**

* * *

It was early April, and still a little chilly. I pulled my jacket a little closer to myself as I waited at the station for the next train. All around me I could hear the TVs, spilling the latest scandal or having teen idols advertising for diet drinks, while the people around me were absorbed in the media.

I had been a city girl all my life, so I was pretty used to the constant buzz from the television. In fact, the familiar noise was probably something I was going to miss.

My name is Miyu Narukami. I was heading out on a train to Inaba, a small mountain town. It wasn't too far out from Tatsumi Port Island, but far enough to be rather unheard of. I was heading there to stay with my uncle. My parents had extremely demanding jobs, and their latest venture would have them overseas for a year.

Of course, I was used to moving around quite a bit for their work, and their long absences. However, being abroad was just considered too much, so I would have to stay with someone. Thankfully, my mom's brother, Uncle Dojima, seemed to be willing to take me in. He had one daughter already, though my aunt was lost in an accident some years back.

I took a deep breath. It was hard, every time I had to leave my school, and my friends. This time, however. There was something else that was bothering me. A strange dream, I had the previous night...

* * *

_I was what appeared to be a limousine. The interior was lined in beautiful blue velvet, which spanned quite a length. There was room for a small bar with blue backlighting, and a blue chandelier overhead. I was not alone though. Sitting across from me were two figures. A beautiful pale woman, with eerie golden eyes and light silver-blonde hair. Her blue business jacket and skirt seemed to match the limousine's blue ambiance. The other man was not quite as fair. He almost appeared something as an impish figure. An old man with strangely pointed ears, and an impossibly long nose. His eyes appeared to bug out of his head as he looked up to me._

_"Welcome to the Velvet room," there was an eerie texture to his voice, "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."_

_"I.. sure? You too..? Where am I?" I shook my head. Although, it seemed an odd reaction, as the atmosphere had a clarity that didn't fit the usual confines of a dream_

_"This place exists between dream and reality. Mind and Matter..." he continued. "It is a room that only those who are bound by a contract may enter."_

_"Contract?" my brows knitted. "What are you talking about?_

_"This contract has not been completed yet, but in the coming days, you will be beset by an intriguing destiny," the long nosed man continued. "Now then, let us take a look at your future."_

_On a table before him appeared a set of cards. I wasn't an expert on fortunes, but they appeared to be tarot cards. As they were laid out, he flipped one over. "Each reading is done with the same cards, but the result is always different," he chuckled. "Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?"_

_I started to accept this had to be a strange dream. Maybe brought on by my stress of moving? Though, I moved several times before, and it was never this bad. I leaned forward, to see what card had been shown._

_"The tower, in the upright position, represents the immediate future. It would appear terrible catastrophe is imminent."_

_I took a deep breath. A catastrophe? This is why I never liked fortunes. Always so vague. I glanced to his assistant, to see what her take was on all of this, since she had been so quiet. However, the perfected face seemed to hold little emotion._

_Igor seemed to be focused on the cards, flipping over another._

_"This card, representing the future beyond is the Moon, in the upright position. It represents 'hesitation' and 'mystery'," an amused smile seemed to take his face. "Very interesting indeed. It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you. This is a turning point in your destiny."_

_"Wait? What's going to happen?" I asked, confused._

_Igor merely shook his head at me. "I do not have the answers. That is your role. If you do not find these answers, the future may be forever lost."_

_I barely understood what the symbolism of this strange room was in my dream, much less some future mystery. Perhaps there was some horrible event waiting for me? A future lost..? What does that mean?_

_"Do not worry, my dear lady. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen." As I tried to comprehend all this, wondering why I haven't woken up from this strange dream, something seems to occur to Igor. "Ah, I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you."_

_The woman finally seemed to turn in my direction, an action that nearly spooked me just by how still she was, and spoke with a very controlled, yet strong voice. "My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey."_

_"Oh.. it's nice to meet you," I nodded. "If.. you can't say anything about this mystery.. what about this contract?"_

_Igor pulled out a pocket watch from his coat. "We shall attend to the details another time. Until then, farewell."_

_Farewell? Before I could protest again, I felt my eyes becoming heavy. The haziness returning as I faded back into sleep..._

* * *

As I reflected back on the dream, I felt my head throb. While it was so clear, it still felt like there was something I was supposed to know. What was that strange room? And what misfortune could lie in store?

I was snapped out of my thoughts by my phone. It was a new message. When I pulled it up, it was from my uncle.

Meet us outside Yasoinaba Station at 4PM

As if on cue, the overhead announcement announced the next transfer station. I quickly got up, gathering my luggage as I prepared to switch platforms.

So many questions rang through my mind... I would have the rest of the trip to ponder over it more.

* * *

After a long journey, during which I was somewhere between dozing off and playing portable games, the train finally pulled into the Yasoinaba Station. I got my things, and disembarked. As I got off, I realized how quiet this station was. Most monorail and subways in the city were constantly buzzing with people. Here, it seemed I was practically the only person who got off the train.

I glanced at my watch. A little after 4. My uncle should be here already, but as I looked around, I didn't spot him on the platform. Tugging on my roller suitcase, I headed toward the front.

It wasn't until I walked out of the archway of the station I heard someone calling out.

"Hey, over here!" the man's voice called. I turned my head, to see my uncle waiting by a car, a small girl in tow with him.

Uncle Ryotaro Dojima stood just a bit short of 180 cm, with short cut scruffy brown hair, and stubble to match. He looked to be in his early forties, a little younger than my mother, his sister. My uncle was dressed in a gray dress shirt, black slacks, and a red tie. He had a dark jacket with him, carried over his shoulder.

The little girl next to him looked to be an elementary school aged. Her light brown hair was pulled back into two small wispy ponytails and straight cut bangs in front. She had a dress with different sections of pinks and reds, on top of a white turtleneck. The little girl looked on with wide brown eyes, somewhat hidden behind Uncle Dojima as I approached.

"Well, it seems you look like your mom after all," Uncle Dojima chuckled, reaching over to shake my hand. Welcome to Inaba."

"Thank you, Uncle Dojima," I smiled politely as I returned the shake. "It's been a long time."

"I'll say," his expression was something between amusement and disbelief. "I remember when you were still in diapers."

I kept the polite smile, trying not to let the awkwardness show. However, he seemed to realize how embarrassing that phrase was to a high-schooler, and quickly looked to find a new subject.

He glanced back, and lightly brought the little girl forward. "This here's my daughter," he paused a moment for her to speak. "Come on, Nanako. Introduce yourself to your cousin."

Nanako shuffled her feet, barely looking up at me. "...'lo."

"Hello, Nanako. I'm your cousin, Miyu," I tried to be friendly. I didn't have any siblings, so I wasn't sure how to talk to a lot of little kids.

She nodded in response, before going back around behind my uncle.

Dojima laughed. "What're you so shy for? I thought you were excited to have another girl in the house," he turned back to look at her. She pouted, giving a light swat to her father's side. He was still amused though, turning back to me. "Well then, let's get going."

He took my suitcase, opening up the back of the car as Nanako and I slid into the backseat. Dojima checked that we were all buckled in, which I assume was a habit when raising a child, before buckling in himself and starting the car

* * *

Just when I thought I was done with trips, I forgot the car ride. It was fairly silent. Once in a while my uncle would try to start a conversation. How was my last school, how were my grades, who did I hang out with... but it while he was trying his best, I have the feeling he wasn't used to talking to kids my age. Nanako was silent most of the trip, still unsure about talking to me.

After driving by mostly rural farmlands, we finally started to reach a developed shopping district. It wasn't a city, but it was something. I looked over the shops, none of which seemed to pop out as any known francises. It seemed it was all family owned businesses, with the exception of the Moel Gas Station we were pulling into.

"Sorry, need to make a quick stop," Dojima said, as he stopped the car. No sooner had we stopped, than an attendant was quickly out to greet us.

"Welcome to Moel!" the attendant called out as she came around to the driver's side.

Dojima nodded in greeting to him, before turning to Nanako. "Can you go the bathroom by yourself?" he asked, with parental concern.

She nodded, climbing out of the seat.

"It's in the back, to your left. You know which way's left? The side you don't hold your chopsticks in," the attendant offered helpfully.

"I know... jeez.." Nanako balked, before heading off. I wondered if she was trying to show she was capable infront of me.

I got out of the car as well, needing to stretch my legs. There was one thing to be said about gas stations. No matter how far from home you were, they all had the same scent of gasoline hanging in the air.

As the attendant circled around, I guess she spotted my suitcase in the back. "Are you taking a trip?"

"No, we just went to pick Miyu up. She just moved here from the big city," my uncle explained. "Fill up my car while you're at it, regular's fine."

"Right away, sir!" the attendant jumped to it.

Uncle Dojima turned to me. "I'm going to take a quick smoke. Wait here for Nanako, okay?"

"Okay," I nodded, leaning against the vehicle, watching him walk off.

I was about to let my mind wander again when I heard the attendant speaking to me. "The city huh? Will you be going to high school?"

"Ah, yeah," I pushed myself off the vehicle, hoping leaning on it wasn't bothering her. "I'm going to be starting at Yasogami High tomorrow."

She nodded. "Does it surprise a city girl to see how little there is out here? There's so little to do, I'm sure you'll get bored fast. You'll either be hanging out with friends, or doing part-time jobs."

"Well, that's assuming I make friends quickly," I chuckled. Not that I've ever had a problem, though it seems harder to bring myself to connect each time I move.

The attendant smiled. "I think you'll be fine," she finished filling up the car, wiping her hands. "Oh, speaking of jobs, we're actually looking for part-time help right now. We don't mind if you're a student."

She came forward, holding out her hand. "Give it some thought. Everyone's free to the choices they make."

I paused for a second, unused to this much conversation from someone I hardly knew. Maybe it's true what they say about rural people having more courtesy. "I'll think on it," I smiled, reaching forward as well.

The attendant's hand was cold as I shook it. I assumed from having to restock the convenience store inside. "Oh, I should get back to work." She pulled her hand back, walking off as Nanako came back around the corner. As I turned to greet my cousin, my head suddenly spiraled, my knees nearly giving out.

What was that all about?

"Are you okay?" Nanako asked, looking worried.

I took a deep breath, and the dizziness went away. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," I spoke, testing that I could still walk straight. Whatever it was seemed to have gone away in an instant.

"Did you get carsick?" she asked.

"Maybe. It's been a long trip," I shrugged. I figured I'd lay down for a bit when we got home before unpacking.

Once Dojima came back, we piled back into the car, and headed to my new home.


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome to Inaba

**I'd like to apologize for my absence! Things have been piling up, but I thank everyone who's been waiting on this! ^^**

* * *

It wasn't far from the shopping district to Uncle Dojima's home. He lived in a relatively quiet residential area, with fences surrounding most of the houses. His own home was relatively small to what I was used to. While it had a bedroom downstairs and two upstairs, the living area itself seemed like one combined area between the kitchen and front room.

Dojima took my suitcase upstairs as Nanako set out dinner. It seemed the kitchen table was a catch-all for things in the house, so dinner was set out on the chabudai*. It looked storebought. Glancing back to the kitchen, I wondered how much Dojima knew how to cook.

(*A chabudai is the low asian style table that usually has people sitting on the ground with or without cushions, as opposed to the western-style table in the kitchen area of Dojima's house)

As we sat down, Dojima looked over and smiled. "Alright, let's have a toast." We each raised our canned drinks up, and took a sip. Then we started to eat.

Uncle Dojima once again wrestled to bring up a topic. "So, parents are overseas this time, huh? That's rough. I'm sure the year will go by faster than you think."

"Oh, it's alright, I'm pretty adaptable.." I nodded.

"Well, it's just me and Nanako here, so it'll be nice for her to have another girl around. So long as you're here, you're part of the family. So make yourself at home."

"Thank you very much for your kindness." I gave a slight bow. While he was my uncle, he still felt a bit like a stranger to me. Afterall, I hadn't seen him in so long.

He seemed taken aback, shaking his head. "C'mon, there's no need to be so formal. You're making Nanako all tense," he motioned over. Nanako was straightening up, I supposed trying to fit into the more grown up crowd. Before we could get back to eating though, a shrill beeping cut into the air. "Ugh, who's calling at this hour?"

Dojima pulled out his cell from his pocket, a seriousness coming over his face. "Dojima speaking," he immediately responded. As he listened to the other end, he got up from the table. I wasn't sure what to make of it, looking to Nanako for some sort of explaination. She looked a bit anxious as she seemed to wait for him to finish.

"Yeah, I see... where is it?" he continued. "... Alright, I'm on my way."

He hung up, mumbling something about thankfully skipping the booze, turning back to us. "Sorry, but I gotta go take care of some business. Go ahead and eat without me." He came over to where Nanako was sitting, kneeling by her. "I don't know how late I'll be. You'll help her out, right Nanako?"

"...Okay," there was an obvious disappointment to her voice, as he got up, grabbing his coat to head out.

I hadn't even realized it started raining until Dojima opened the door, the water pelting the ground densely. He quickly checked with Nanako if the laundry had been brought in, before heading out into the rain.

Nanako picked up the remote, turning on the television. It was expected to rain for the rest of the night and tomorrow. I grimaced. The first day at a new school was always the hardest, being wet on top of that wouldn't be fun. Hopefully there'd be an extra umbrella I could borrow.

It started to grow uncomfortable as we ate. Nanako was obviously still rather shy around me, so the table was quiet, with the exception of the news anchors buzzing in the background. It seems I would have to make the first move. "So, what does your dad do?" I asked. Frankly, I was surprised I hadn't asked sooner.

She appeared surprised when I asked, pausing to put her thoughts together. "He... investigates stuff. Like crime scenes. My dad's a detective."

"Wow.. that's.. got to be tough," my brows furrowed. I mean, it's one thing to have parents that are constantly away working on this or that. It's another thing to have a single parent, doing such a dangerous job.

Nanako shrugged, looking back to the televison.

"Now for the local news. City council secretary, Taro Namatame, is under fire for an alleged relationship with a female reporter."

I sighed heavily. This was the same scandal I heard them reporting while transferring trains earlier in the day. That's to be expected of the news, of course. In a small town like this, it's probably one of the more eventful news stories they have going on.

"His wife, enka ballad sensation, Misuzu Miiragi, revealed to this station that she will likely pursue damages. In response, Eye Television has decided to cancel all of announcer Mayumi Yamano's televised appearances."-

Figures. A high-powered man has an affair, and the woman has to suffer for it. Before I can voice my opinion, I'm reminded there's a child sitting near me. Does she normally sit and watch the news?

"Until allegations of an affair with Mr. Namatame are resolved, she'll remain off the air and out of the public eye."-

Just as I was about to ask her if she even understood what this was going on about, Nanako gave a heavy sigh. "This is boring.." she started flipping channels. I chuckled. I didn't blame her for it. She suddenly stopped at a brightly colored commercial.

"At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products!" -

" Every day's great at your Junes! " -

" Every day's great at your Junes !" Nanako sung along with the commerical, a cheerful beam having suddenly overtaken her face. She had a sweet little smile, and suddenly the tenseness from before seemed to disappear.

* * *

It was getting late, and there was no sign of Dojima. Nanako showed me up to my room. A few of my boxes had arrived before me, and my suitcase was tucked neatly into the corner. A futon had been set up for me. I decided to go ahead and sleep. Unpacking can be done tomorrow. I was still worn out from traveling. Kicking off my shoes, I didn't even want to unpack pajamas.

I wondered what the new school was going to be like. Will I make friends? Will there be as big of cliques in the country as there were in the city?

I didn't wonder these things long, falling asleep quickly.

* * *

I must have started dreaming again. A thick fog once again appeared around me. This time there was no vehicle, no mysterious Igor or Margaret. It was just myself as far as I could tell.

It was a strain for my eyes to try and see more than a foot ahead of me. Underfoot, I could barely make out a red bricked path. I thought of just staying there, but there seemed to be some feeling, urging me forward. I slowly walked up the path,

~"Do you seek the truth?"~

I gasped, looking around. "Who's there?" I called, but saw no one. The voice seemed to be somewhere in front of me. I started to pick up the pace, running after the voice.

~"If it's truth you desire, come and find me…"~

"That's- That's not fair!" I still could barely make out the path. How could I be expected to find someone in this? As I rushed forward, I nearly rushed into something solid in front of me. Thankfully I caught myself with my hands first. As I pushed away from the object, I realized it was a door. Hardly a conventional door though. It seemed to have been made of several interlocking squares that were twisted shut.

Intuition told me whoever was talking to me was on the other side of this door. As I touched it again, the pieces started to contract back, opening before me. I could only see more fog, but went through it anyway. I wanted to know what this was all about. What was up with these weird dreams.

As I continued, I suddenly saw a figure ahead of me.

~"So you are the one pursuing me. Hmhmhm… Try all you like… "~

The figure moved ahead of me in the fog. I couldn't tell who, or even what it was. It appeared human, but the fog kept all other details somewhat hard to determine. I picked up the pace again, chasing the form. "Hey! Come back here!"

Still it moved ahead of me. ~"Hmmm... It seems that you can see a little, despite the fog... I see... Indeed, you possess an interesting quality... But… you will not catch me so easily…"~

Between this and the dream from before, I just couldn't figure out what all the vagueness was about. "I just...! Tell me what this is... And what quality are you talking about?"

~"If what you seek is "truth," then your search will be even harder… Everyone sees what they want to…. And the fog only deepens…Will we meet again…? At a place other than here…? Hmhm… I look forward to it…"~

"Wait... Just... tell me..." as I tried to catch up, the fog only became denser around me. I lost sight of the figure. I grew weary, as the fog darkened around me, and I fell back into slumber.


	3. Chapter 3: New Days

I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on this new strange dream when I woke. It was the first day at my new school. I straightened out my uniform, tying the yellow sash in the front. Having moved several times, I've had my share of uniforms. Thankfully I liked the sailor look to this, although I would've liked something more colorful than the black jacket.

When I came downstairs, I was surprised to see Nanako cooking the eggs. I looked around quickly. "Is.. Uncle Dojima here?"

"There was some kind of trouble. He won't be back." She answered. Then she smiled, looking back to me. "You're starting school today, right? My school's on the way, so... let's go together!"

I couldn't help but smile back. It seemed most of her apprehension of me has disappeared. "Alright, we can do that. After breakfast."

* * *

It was still raining from the previous night, so Nanako and I huddled under our umbrellas as we walked through the Samegawa Flood plain. It was a flat, grassy area that ran along the river by the same name. The river level was slightly raised, due to the last few days of rain.

After a good trek, Nanako had to break off to head to her own school, pointing out the way for me to go. We waved each other off as we split. I started to wonder if she had plenty of school friends herself. I hoped she did. It seemed like she had such a lonely home life. Maybe more so than me.

I started to pass through a residential area, where I started to see more students in my same uniform heading to school as well. This put me at ease, knowing I was headed in the right direction. Although I hoped I'd be able to make a few friends of my own.

"WWOOOOAAHH!" I heard the shout rush by me, as a student on a yellow bike whizzed by. He was trying to hold to his umbrella and control his bike at the same time, but ended up crashing into a post.

"Oh-! Oh jeez!" I gasped. He nearly ran into me! As I calmed down though, I realized no one else had bothered to see to him, just staring as they passed. I supposed since I was closest, I should go make sure he doesn't need medical help. "Hey, are you alright?!"

He was able to stand, but hunched over in pain. "I... I.. yeah.." he wheezed, likely having the breath knocked out of him. After a moment, he straightened up, turning back toward me. "Oh-! Uh...!" he floundered a moment, fixing his suit and grabbing his umbrella. He was trying not to look embarrassed, but his expression faltered. "T-thanks, I'm fine."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Glad to hear it."

He ran a hand through his copper-colored hair. "So.. uh.. are you new here? I don't think I've seen you before, and it's a pretty small town."

"Yeah, I just transferred," I nodded, helping pick up his bag. "I'm Miyu Narukami."

"Oh! I heard we were getting a new student. I think you'll be in my class. I'm Yosuke Hanamura," he smiled, taking the bag from me. The smile didn't last long, as the distinct sound of something broken sounded from within. "... she's going to kill me..."

I knitted my brows. "What?

"I-it's nothing." he quickly slid the bag over his shoulder, picking up the bike. "So, uh.. Can I show you to the classrom then?" he winked, trying to be smooth.

"Well, I still have to stop by the faculty office first. Sorry," I shrugged. Winking aside, he didn't seem like a jerk, so I let it slide.

"Right.. so, maybe later," Yosuke sighed, and got back on his bike. "Thanks again for stopping.."

"No problem..." I waved as he went on ahead, hoping he doesn't crash again. I glanced at my watch. I should get going.

* * *

It was a quick trip to the faculty office. I suppose they didn't get a lot of new students, so they were ready for me first thing. After verifying my information, they gave me the general rules of the school, a map, and everything else mandatory, before sending me off. My homeroom teacher would be Mr. Morooka. Ha, that was fun to say real fast.

Though his name was fun to say, meeting him was a different matter. The skinny man, looking maybe in his thirties or forties, had pants that were three inches above his ankle, and a bob cut that was cut at just the right length to bring attention to his jutting overbite. Now, it'd be very rude of me to judge a man by appearance alone. That's why I judged him on his horrible tone.

"So yer the new transfer student, huh?" there was a sneer, which did not compliment his face at all. "Well, you wait here until your introduction. And don't think to try anything fancy or flashy. It's a decent school, and kids like you need to be aware of that!"

"Erm.. yes, sir?" I was more confused than anything as he went back into the classroom. Was there something I did to give him the wrong impression? It would seem not, as I heard him start to lecture the other students in that grating voice. Soon I was called in.

"Awright, I hate to waste time, but I have to introduce this transfer student. She's come here from the city, tossed like a salad. Now I know what you boys are thinking, but don't think that because she's a city girl, that you can start pulling crap in my class! So don't be getting any ideas! Tell 'em your name and make it quick."

My cheeks started to hurt by trying to hold my smile. How the hell does one follow that up? The class stood there, staring back at me with pity. It seemed they looked at me as if to say 'we are so sorry you got stuck in this class'.

I took a deep breath. Morooka ignored, this is my chance to make an impression. "Hello, I'm Miyu Narukami, and don't worry, I'm not one of those 'city girls'," I smirked.

There was a bit of chuckled amusement, though Morooka didn't seem very impressed.

"Damned kids, can't even give proper introductions anymore. It's because of being on your phones all day, checking my-places and live-journals-"

"Excuse me! Is it okay if the transfer student sits here?" a girl in the middle of the class called out.

"Huh? Yeah, sure. Hear that? Your seat's over there. So hurry up and siddown already!" Morooka grumbled.

I was thankful for the interruption, as I quickly took a seat. The girl who had called out leaned over to me. "He's the worst, huh? Rotten luck for you to get stuck in this class… Well, we'll just have to hang in there for a year," she gave me a supportive smile. She had light brown short bobbed hair, wearing a green sweater over her uniform. Huh, I guess the school had light restrictions on the uniform. I could see another girl with a red sweater on as well.

Around me, I could hear the other students talking about my introduction. It would seem I've earned some respect for standing up for myself. I had a feeling that this year wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

Just as Morooka was finishing up, as we had full homeroom today, the intercom came on.

**- Attention, all teachers. Please report immediately to the Faculty Office for a brief staff meeting. All students must return to their classrooms and are not to leave the school until further notice. -**

"Aww.." I grimaced. I had just packed up too. The rumble of the other students talking started up.

"Hrnh. You heard the announcement. Don't go anywhere until you hear otherwise!" Morooka announced, before heading out to the meeting.

I put my stuff back down, not bothering to get up from the chair as people started to get into their own groups. I didn't quite know anyone yet, so took a moment to listen in on the different conversations. One group had gathered by the window.

"Ugh, I can't see a damn thing. Frickin' fog…"  
"Yeah, like every time it rains lately, it gets all foggy."  
"Hey, did you hear? I hear the paparazzi's looking all over for that announcer."  
"Oh yeah. You mean Mayumi Yamano, right? I heard some guys spotted her at the shopping district."

I paused a little. Oh, that announcer that was having the affair? Why would she be in a little town like this? Maybe she was hiding out here?

"Actually, I heard that…" the first student leaned in, whispering to the boy next to her.

"Are you serious!?" he looked alarmed, turning to look back. He came over to the girl in the red sweater from before. "H-Hey, Yukiko-san. Mind if I ask you something…? Is it true that announcer's staying at your family's inn?"

"I can't discuss such things." she looked away from him, uncomfortably. Disappointed, the first boy walked back off.

I hadn't really taken a good look at the girl earlier, since she was across and infront of me, but when she turned, I could see that she was quite pretty. With dark eyes and hair, and a somewhat timid manner, she was the poster of an elegant Japanese woman.

The bobbed-haired girl next to me sighed, speaking to Yukiko. "Sheesh, how much longer is this going to take?" she sighed. Suddenly, she perked up as a thought hit her. "By the way, didja try what I told you the other day? You know… That thing about rainy nights…"

"Oh… No, not yet. Sorry," Yukiko shrugged.

* * *

Chie stretched in her seat. "Ahhh, that's okay. Well… it's just, I heard a guy in the class next door yell something like, "My soulmate is Yamano, the announcer!" she chuckled. I glanced over quizzically. It seemed like they were talking about some sort of fortune thing or another.

After what seemed forever, the intercom finally came back on.

** -Attention Students. There has been an incident inside the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the School Zone. Please stay calm and contact your parents or guardians as soon as possible, and quickly leave the school grounds. Do not disturb the police officers. Head directly home. I repeat… -**

"Incident?!"  
"What, something actually happened?"  
"C'mon, let's go take a look!"

The other students seemed excited as they rushed off. I wondered if Uncle Dojima was involved. As I got up, Yukiko and the bobbed-haired girl. With her short hair and green activewear sweater, she appeared quite the tomboy next to her feminine friend.

"Hey, are you going home by yourself? Why don't you come with us?" the one with the green sweater asked. "I mean, if there's something going on out there, we girls should stick together, right?"

"Oh, thanks. That's probably a good idea," I reached out to shake her hand. "I'm Miyu Narukami."

"Gah, sheesh, I forgot!" she laughed, playfully knocking her head. "I'm Chie Satonaka. We'll be sitting together for the year. And this.." she turned, indicating Yukiko, "is Yukiko Amagi."

"Oh, nice to meet you... I'm sorry this is so sudden..." Yukiko introduced herself hesistantly.

"C'mon, don't apologize like that," Chie winced. "It makes me look like I've got no upbringing. I just wanted to ask some stuff. Really, that's all."

"It's totally fine!" I waved it off. "I haven't really talked to anyone yet. Well, other than..."

"Uh, umm, Miss Satonaka...?" A voice behind us started meekly.

I turned, and speak of the devil, there was Yosuke, from that morning. He looked incredibly nervous for some reason.

"Oh, Yosuke-san!" I greeted him.

"Ah! Miyu-san, you're here too, huh?" he forced on a smile before turning back to Chie. "Anyway.. um.. This was really awesome. Like, the way they moved was just amazing to see…" He pulled out a dvd case, holding it out to her with his head bowed down. "And… I'm really sorry! It was an accident! Please just have mercy until my next paycheck!"

"Wha..?" Chie took the dvd case, wondering what the apology was for.

"Seeya-thanks!" he quickly uttered, turning to go. He didn't get far, before Chie grabbed him in a chokehold.

"Stop right there! What did you do to my DVD!?" she exclaimed, opening the case. "What the-?! My 'Trial of the Dragon'…!"

Inside the case, the dvd was completely cracked. Meanwhile, I thought Yosuke's neck was about to crack in the hold

"Wait-! It's not all his fault," I quickly stepped in. "He totally wiped out on his bike earlier, that's probably when it happened."

Chie didn't look too happy, but she finally let him go before he turned blue. "Guh.. you definitely owe me for this!"

Yukiko leaned in toward Yosuke. "A-are you alright?"

"Oh, Yukiko-san... Are you worried about me...?" he tried to put on a smooth smile.

Chie rolled her eyes. "He's fine, Yukiko. Let's ditch him and go home."

As they gathered their things, Yosuke rubbed his neck. "Hey.. uh.. thanks. You saved my neck there.. again. Is this a habit of yours?"

"Oh, I guess I'm something of a superhero," I smirked. "But I can't save you from paying her back."

"Yeaaah.. Chie can be quite aggressive, not like a lady at all," he chucked. "Oh, but.. don't take that the wrong way. She's actually a pretty cool person. Just.. stay on her good side. Anyway, later."

He left to go get his bike. While I headed out with Chie and Yukiko. So my first day at school so far had a few bumps, but I was already talking to some possible new friends. What could possibly go wrong?


	4. Chapter 4: The First Victim

It had stopped raining during school, and and though the fog was still settled, it was starting to dissipate. I blessed my lucky stars for this, as it'd be nice enough to just walk and chat with Chie and Yukiko. As we came by the school gate though, a young man stopped us.

"You're Yuki, right? Y-you want to go hang out somewhere?" he asked quite abruptly.

Yukiko was taken aback. "What…? Wh-Who are you?"

I quickly looked over the man. His uniform didn't match ours, meaning he went to another school. I hadn't been aware there was another school in the area, but that wasn't the big issue. He had large, round eyes, that seemed to have no depth to them, and messy hair atop his head.

Students around us stopped and talked between themselves.

"What's up with him? What school's he from?"  
"Never mind that, he's going for Yukiko-san? Man, you'd think he'd at least wait until she's alone to make his move…"  
"I bet you a can of TaP he gets knocked out."  
"No bet. Haven't you heard how difficult the Amagi Challenge is?"

Amagi Challenge? What was that?

Meanwhile, the young man was getting antsy, without even answering Yukiko's question. "Um, s-so… are you coming or not?

"I-I'm not going…" Yukiko shook her head. I gripped my bag tightly, but as we were out infront of all these people, it likely wouldn't escalate into anything major.

The young man looked taken aback and embarrassed. "…Fine!" he growled, quickly running off.

"Wh-what did he want from me...?" Yukiko looked back to us, obviously a little distressed. Chie and I glanced at each other. Did she not really know?

"Obviously, he was asking you on a date," Chie pointed out. Yukiko blinked, as if the thought hadn't occurred to her. "You had no clue? Sheesh…"

"Well, I don't blame her." I loosened my grip on my bag. "I mean, he just up and wanted to take her away. No name or anything... Not the way to a lady's heart."

Chie had to agree. "True, and it was way over the top. It was creepy how he called you 'Yuki' all of a sudden."

Yukiko didn't appear to know how to take all this. Just then, Yosuke walked up with his bike. "Yo, Yukiko-san!" he started with a chuckled. "Turned down another lovelorn fool, huh? Man, you're cruel..."

"Cruel?" I asked. The other school student was out of line, how was that cruel?

"Well... she got me the same way last year," Yosuke winced.

"Ah," I shook my head.

Yukiko frowned. "I.. don't recall doing that."

"Whoa, you serious?" Yosuke suddenly grew excited. "So then, you wanna hang out sometime?"

"I'd.. rather not."  
Yosuke sighed. "That'll teach me to get my hopes up..."

He got on the bike to go. "Anyways, you two better not pick on the transfer student too much!" he called back as he rode off.

"We're just being friendly!" Chie called back. She glanced around, and it seemed students had still been gawking at the scene. "Uh... c'mon, let's go."

* * *

As we walked through the rural area, I talked with Chie and Yukiko, going over my story on how I came to be in Inaba. "My parents, they're engineers. They have a lot of different projects going, and this one took them overseas to America." I explained. "While usually I get dragged along every time they moved, this time it was more complicated. So they decided to let me stay here with my Uncle."

"Ah, so you're here because of your parents' job," Chie nodded. "I thought it was something way more serious."

I paused, raising a brow. "Serious like what?"

"Oh- ah! Nothing! You know how people talk..!" she laughed nervously. "Lots of gossip in a small town, you know..."

A quiet moment passed, where Chie glanced over the surroundings. "Speaking of, There really is nothing here, huh? That is what makes it nice, but there's nothing much we can show to people from outside. I mean, the biggest thing we have recently is Junes."

"Oh, right, I saw a commercial the other day. So there is one in the area?" I asked. It'd be nice to have one snippet of normal city activity.

"Oh! Yeah, Yukiko and I were going to head by there. You can come too!" she smiled, then focused back to thinking of Inaba interests. "Well, there is something from Mt. Yasogami… I think our dyed clothes or pottery or something is kinda famous... Oh wait, there's the Amagi Inn! Yukiko's family runs it. It's the pride of Inaba!"

Yukiko seemed to have been lost in thought, snapping back into reality. "Huh? It's... just an old inn."

"Oh, no way, it's been in all sorta magazines as a hidden treasure." Chie continued, grinning back to me. "It's a great inn! It's been going for generations, and Yukiko here is going to take over someday.  
The inn actually attracts a lot of visitors to Inaba. It pretty much keeps this town going."

"…I don't think that's entirely true." Yukiko denied.

"Still, wow... taking over an inn." I was in awe. I could barely decide what clubs to join each time I moved to a new school, much less had such a future already laid out before me."

Yukiko didn't speak much more on it, so Chie had to take over the conversation again. "So, Miyu, do you have a boyfriend?"

"A boyfriend?" I couldn't help but flush a little, but then I chuckled. "How fast do you think I work? I just got here."

"Noooo, I mean where you lived before!" Chie teased.

"Not really.." I shrugged. "Since I moved so often, I didn't really let myself have those relationships. It seemed like it'd be a little cruel for both of us, you know?"

"I guess that makes sense." Chie nodded. "Though, Yukiko's lived here her whole life. She's really popular at school, but she's never had a boyfriend. Kinda weird, huh?"

"Chie!" Yukiko protested. "Y-You shouldn't believe that, okay? It's not true that I'm popular or that I've never had a boyfriend! Wait, no! Wh-What I meant to say was, I don't need a boyfriend!"

"Hey, it's fine!" I chuckled. "The idea that a girl HAS to have a boyfriend is a little outdated, isn't it? Chie, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Uh.. well, no." Chie was unarmed for the question. "I.. was just trying to get Yukiko to talk more, actually."

"Then there we have it. We're three, unattached, awesome girls who can rock things ourselves. If we find boyfriends, cool, but we don't need them to enjoy ourselves," I grinned.

They both looked a little surprised, but Chie went right along. "Yeah, that's right! Look out, Inaba!" Chie pumped her fist in the air. Even Yukiko smiled along. I wondered what it would take to get the quiet girl to open up a little more. Oh well, this was my first day knowing her.

* * *

In our zest, we didn't seem to notice that in the residential area we were walking through, there was suddenly a huge crowd of people. They were gathered around a police blockade, gossiping loudly to themselves.

"Wow. Who could imagine THAT hanging from an antenna?"

"I wanted to see it too."

"Uh, you got here too late… The police and fire department took it down just a moment ago."

"Well, I think it's terrifying. I can't believe a dead body showed up around here…"

A chill ran through me. Did she just say..?

"Wait… What did she just say? A dead body!?" Chie gasped.

Before we could discuss any further, a detective came out from the blocked off area. Except, it wasn't just a detective. It was Uncle Dojima. He was just as surprised to see me. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, we were just passing by, sir!" I quickly answered. It wasn't a lie, but still for some reason I felt like a kid caught in the wrong place.

"Huh… I should have figured that'd happen." he grimaced. "That damn principal. We told him not to let them through here…"

Yukiko and Chie stared on in amazement. "Miyu, you know this guy?" Chie asked.

"Oh, right," I quickly caught myself. "Uncle Dojima, these are some of my classmates, Chie Satonaka, and Yukiko Amagi. Guys, this is my Uncle Dojima."

Dojima nodded to them. "Right, I'm her guardian. .. Um.. how do I say this? I hope you get along with her. But right now, you girls really ought to stop wandering around and head straight home."

"Yes, si-" I started, when suddenly another detective came barreling through past us. He quickly reached the trashcans on the sidewalk, regurgitating into them. I had to glance off, not good with that kind of thing.

"Adachi! How long are you going to act like a rookie? You want to be sent back to the central office!?" Dojima shouted at the detective. The man finished up, returning to work along with my uncle.

The three of us gave awkward glances to each other. A crime scene with a dead body hung over an antenna. It was not something I was ever faced with myself, and I imagined in such a small town, neither were the other two.

"Hey.. how about we go to Junes some other time?" Chie asked.

Yukiko and I both agreed. We were too chilled to our core to want to continue the outing.

* * *

We continued walking for a while longer, before Chie and Yukiko finally had to split off. "Alright then, we're taking off." Chie announced. "From now on, we're going to do our best, right?"

"Oh yeah, we're going to turn the school on it's ear!" I smiled back, waving as I headed home. I tried to push away the thoughts of the crime scene from my head.

Opening the door to the house, I put the umbrella from earlier away. "Nanako?" I called. Shoot, I hope that I wasn't supposed to pick her up, if Dojima was busy with work.

"I'm here!" she called back. I guessed she walked home herself. She was parked infront of the tv, watching the news again. Again, I couldn't figure out why a kid like her would want to be watching the news all the time. I didn't wonder long, as her next comment answered it for me. "I wonder if dad's coming home tonight."

As I saw the reports of the new incident being reported, it suddenly clicked. She was watching the news to keep up with her dad. As far as she knew, when he wasn't home, he was dealing with whatever was appearing on the news. I felt my heart break a little for the girl.

Meanwhile, the news was discussing the crime scene I had just walked away from. It never affected me much on television, it's another thing to know I had just left that place.

**- Our top story this evening concerns a bizarre case in a quiet suburb.**  
**Around noon today, a woman was found dead near the Samegawa River in Inaba.-**

I sat down with her to watch, despite the sinking feeling in my stomach.

**-The deceased has been identified as Ms. Mayumi Yamano, a 27-year-old announcer at the local television station. The initial results of the Inaba Police Department's investigation have revealed-**

"Ah! The Inaba Police Department! Th-That's where Dad works!" Nanako shouted. She waited eagerly, but they didn't seem to report anything specifically about Dojima.

"Hey... it's going to be alright.." I smiled.

"…I know. That's his job, so this stuff happens." she answered. I wrapped an arm around her. I couldn't imagine having to be so mature and independent at such a young age. She was surprised, but she soon nestled in.

**- The body was found hanging from a large television antenna atop a local resident's roof. Authorities are uncertain as to why the body was in such a state. With the cause of death also uncertain, police continue to investigate whether the death is an accident or a homicide. A thick fog common to the area has slowed their progress, and plans to fully canvas the area are delayed until tomorrow. -**

So the victim was the TV announcer, Mayumi Yamano. The one that had been all over the news for the affair with the politician. Still... hanging a body on an antenna. That wasn't normal. There was no way that was an accident. It would almost be hard to even explain a suicide for that either. If I had to guess, it'd be related to either the politician himself, or his scorned wife.

Nanako bit her lip. "They found her on the roof? That's scary…"

I hugged her a little closer. "It is, but I'm sure your dad's going to find out what happened, and keep that person from doing things like that again."

"I know." she nodded.

About that time, it switched to commerical. The colorful Junes ad popped back up, and Nanako perked up, sitting up out of my grasp. "Oh, it's Junes!"

**- At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products!-**

She quickly prepped herself for the ending ditty

** -Every day's great at your Junes! -**

"Every day's great at your Junes~!" she gleefully sang along, then looked back at me. I realized I was put on the spot.

"Your Junes~!" I added.

"You memorized it already? I'm the best one in my class!" Nanako grinned.

"Oh yeah! I love Junes!" I chuckled. "I just found out there was one here."

"Yeah, it's new..!" Nanako nodded. "Dad and I don't get to go often, but it's fun when we do."

She started to clean up for the night, humming the department store's tune to herself the rest of the night. I guess it helped put the news story out of her head. I only wish I had that sort of ability to shift attention.

I got up, helping Nanako clean up the dishes. I tried to straighten up the table in the kitchen, but there was so much stuff on it. I'd have to save that project for later. After Nanako was put to bed, I went up to my own futon. Horrible situation aside, my first day of school was fun. I made new friends with Chie and Yukiko. Yosuke seemed like an okay guy too. I had a feeling I would be with them quite a while that year.


	5. Chapter 5: Every Day's Great at Junes

**Apologies for the delay! Was taking a bit of a vacation from the fic.**

As of this posting, this fic has reached 15 followers! Thank you, guys! For this, I will be adding a bonus pic to the next update. Thank you again, and please enjoy!

* * *

The following morning started much like the first, without the rain. Nanako had cooked up eggs for us, and then we headed to school. I was still learning my way, but avoided the neighborhood where the body had been found earlier. I imagined it was still busy with investigators. While in normal circumstances, it might have been nice to take Nanako by to see her dad, that's probably not 'okay' at a crime scene. As we made our way, Nanako split off toward her school, and I to mine.

The walk was mostly quiet until the sudden whoosh of a bike flying by me. Just as I was catching myself, the biker had crashed, managing to fling himself into a trash can.

Taking note of the yellow bike, and the deja vu of yesterday, I knew in a moment who it was. Yosuke. It seemed he was stuck in the garbage can, thrashing about as it rolled around on its side. "S-someone...!"

"Never fear, your hero is here." I mused, stabilizing the can with my foot as I tugged him out. He coughed as he came back into fresh air, groaning at the mess his uniform was now.

"Oh man..." he got up, but then chuckled nervously at me. "Heh, I'm starting to feel like a damsel in distress now. You keep pulling my bacon out of the fire."

"No need to thank me, citizen," I struck a heroic pose. At least, I imagined it was heroic. It probably looked pretty goofy to think back on it. Featherman R always made it look cool. Either way, Yosuke laughed along. "Anyway, nothing broken?"

"Oh yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he tested his limbs out. "Not my first crash.. as you've seen."

"Here.. let me see your coat." I started into my bag, pulling out a fabric odor eliminator. His jacket smelled a little like trash, and he probably didn't' need the grief. It was only the slightly cool April air, so there was no issue for him to take it off and stick with his tee shirt for a little while.

"Wow, pretty prepared there, hero," he chuckled as he handed over the jacket.

"Well, when saving the world, you have to be prepared for anything," I chuckled. "But seriously, it's for gym." I gave it a few sprays, before handing it back. "Should be fine by the time we hit school."

"Thanks, you're kind of useful to have around," he slipped the jacket back on over his shoulders. ".. Say, did you hear about the incident from yesterday? They found that announcer lady hanging from an antenna!"

I shuddered. "Yeah, accidentally came across the crime scene on the way home yesterday. They were already cleaning up, but..."

" Oh man... You think it was some kinda warning? There's no way something that weird could've been an accident," Yosuke pointed out. It's true. No matter how much I poured my mind over it, it would only be an accident by fairly bizarre circumstances.

"It'd have to be," I pursed my lips.

"Dangling a dead body over a roof like that… That's just messed up. Then again, it's pretty messed up to kill someone in the first place," Yosuke sighed, checking over his bag to see that nothing else was messed up. At that time he grabbed his phone. "Oh crap, we're late!"

He hopped on his bike. "You wanna ride? It's a little squeaky, but it should be fine."

"Uh..." I quickly went over his accident report in my head. "How about I steer?"

* * *

It had been a while since I rode a bike, but it seemed the saying was true. You don't really forget, and it seemed to come back pretty easily. Thank goodness, as I really didn't feel like visiting the hospital by letting Yosuke steer.

He seemed a little bummed at first to be the rider, but I guess he got used to it. I suppose it didn't hurt that he still got to ride with a cute girl. Once we reached the school, we raced to the classroom, barely making the bell

* * *

"Be quiet, you idiots! You guys ARE in high school, aren't you!? Can't you shut up during class? Don't you have any common sense?" It seemed Morooka was in a mood. I wondered if it was harder to replace country town teachers than city teachers.

From what I gathered from the other students, Morooka was also known as 'King Moron'. Seemed like nearly everyone hated his guts. Which probably was fitting, as he seemed to hate all of ours too. Even worse, his voice was grating enough to not even be able to distract myself. He continued to rant and rave for what seemed like hours. Actually, it had only been a few minutes.

This was going to be a long day...

* * *

I got up and stretched after the day. Finally, the bell. As I was picking up, Yosuke stopped by my desk.

"So, getting used to the place?" he asked.

I thought on the answer for a bit."Oh, sort of.. Still figuring what all is around."

"Not much, I can tell you. Not compared to the city, but there's that certain... 'something' you can't get anywhere else," he spoke in a slightly distant tone, I couldn't tell whether he was being serious or not. "I mean, the air's clean, the food's great... Oh! You know about the local delicacy?" his mouth turned up in an amused grin.

"What?" I asked. Secretly, I was hoping it was some sort of desert.

"It's grilled steak, man!" he laughed. "Like that's anything special, huh? I know a place where you can get some cheap. Wanna come?"

I cocked my head, giving a questioning look. Yosuke flushed slightly, starting to stammer.

"I—I don't mean on a date. I mean, just a thank you, you know! Since you're saving me from one thing or another. It's just to pay you back," He quickly added. "I don't think of you that way- Not that anyone shouldn't—just-"

I knew it was terrible to let him keep going like this, but it was kind of humorous how flustered he got, compared to the smooth tones he was trying to use earlier. Before I could answer him, Chie stepped in.

"Well, if it's not a date, you can pay me back too," she crossed her arms.

Yosuke was caught off guard. "Woah, what?"

"My 'Trial of the Dragon', remember?" she narrowed her eyes

Yosuke groaned. "Urgh… You always come around when I'm talking about food…"

Chie huffed, before turning back to Yukiko. "How about it, Yukiko? Don't you think he should treat us, too?"

I covered my mouth, trying not to show my amusement. Here I was, tormenting poor Yosuke, and his bad luck just seemed to keep piling up. I really ought to give the guy a break.

His wallet was spared a little, as Yukiko shook her head. "I'll pass... I don't want to gain any more weight. I need to help out at the inn today, anyway."

I could understand that. People often underestimate how food habits can affect you, even for someone already trim like Yukiko. Although the other part Yosuke seemed to jump on.

"Wow, Yukiko-san! You started training to take over the business?" he asked.

"It's not like that!" she quickly retorted. "I'm just helping out when it gets busy. I should be on my way." she waved, and headed out of the classroom. It was too bad, I wanted to see if she'd open up a little.

"Oh well. We should get going too." Chie poked Yosuke.

"Huh? Do I seriously have to treat two people...?"

* * *

We left the school, Yosuke walking with his bike since there was no way all three of us could fit. After a long walk, I was surprised to see where he was taking us.

The large chain-retail store of Junes was lit up. Several stories tall, it stood out like a beacon in the rural area. Despite this being a small town, there was constant activity going on inside. While I was a bit confused, Chie had a slightly irritated look on her face. I wondered if she was expecting something different.

We reached the food court. Yosuke had us find a table, while he went to order. "Figures he'd take us to his place," Chie sighed.

"His place?" I asked. I assumed she meant he just came here a lot.

"Oh, right, you don't know. Yosuke's dad? He's the manager here. That's why Yosuke transferred here from the city six months ago."

"Ah.." I nodded. "So I guess he's a bit of a big deal, then?"

Chie's face wrinkled uncertainly. "Well.."

She didn't finish her thought, as Yosuke came back with some beef bowls. Chie glared back at him. "Why'd you bring us here? You knew they don't serve grilled steak."

Yosuke groaned. "Yeah, well, once you hopped on the freeloader train, I had to change my plans."

Chie grimaced. "Still, your place?"

He paused a moment, glancing back at me. "I suppose you heard?"

"Hey, Yosuke, I got moved because of my parents too, it's no big deal," I shrugged. He still looked a bit bugged about it. In proper Yosuke fashion though, he didn't let it sink in too much, as he handed over a drink.

"Anyway. Here, this is to welcome you to town. Satonaka, yours is on me too."

"Yeah, I know," she took her drink.

"So, six months ago? Not much sooner than me," I started.

"Ah, yeah. Dad got asked to manage this location, so the whole family up and moved. So this store's only been open half a year."

"Yeah, I haven't really been to the local shopping district since. A lot of stores started closing, and.. oh..." Chie suddenly back pedaled. Yosuke twitched slightly, waving it off.

"…You can't blame it all on Junes, can you?" he asked dismissively.

I could feel a tension at the table, and it started to click for me. A big chain store like this in such a little rural area. It must have affected a lot of the local businesses. Despite the success of the store, there would obviously be people who looked on it with disdain. Did Yosuke have to deal with those people? Is that why no one else helped him those times he crashed on his bike?

Yosuke seemed to look past us. Was he angry? "Hey, it's Saki-senpai!"

"?" I looked over, confused as Yosuke got up from his seat, heading over to one of the other tables. A girl, with ash brown curly hair was seated. She had one of the Junes aprons on, so it appeared she worked there. I turned back to Chie with a questioning look.

"Oh, that's Saki Konishi. Her family runs a liquor store in the shopping district. I think she's working here part-time, though," she answered.

"Is.. she his girlfriend?" I found myself asking. Just the way he had suddenly popped up and abandoned us to see her...

Chie laughed. "He wishes."

If I leaned over, I could hear them somewhat.

Saki seemed to be teasing him about us. "Boosting the family business by bringing your friends here?"

"Madam, you wound me! Kidding aside… You look down. Did something happen?" Yosuke asked, concerned.

"…It's nothing. I'm just a little tired."  
"Hey, if you need to talk, I'm always willing to listen. I…"

Saki chuckled, although there seemed to be a weariness to her voice. "I'm okay. Thanks, though," she sighed heavily. "Why'd I leave school early yesterday…?"

Just then, she seemed to look over at us. I quickly straightened back up in my seat, trying to look nonchalant. I totally meant to stick my straw into my chin.

"Hey, are you the girl who transferred here?" I heard Saki ask as she came over to our table. She seemed pleasant enough, and despite the worn down look she was quite pretty.

"Oh, yes I am, senpai. Came from the city," I answered.

On hearing me refer to her as senpai, she looked a little off-guard. "Oh, did you hear about me already?"

"Not much," I assured her.

She seemed to relax a little, looking back to Yosuke as she spoke to me. "It must be nice to have someone else from the big city to talk to, huh? Although, I don't see Hana-chan hanging out with other guys much..."

Embarrassment streaked over Yosuke's face. "N-Not necessarily…"

"He doesn't have too many friends, so I hope you two get along good." she spoke, then smiled wryly. "Hana-chan's a good guy, but he can get nosy sometimes. You gotta tell him right to his face when he starts to annoy you."

"Senpai..!" Yosuke objected.

I grinned. Saki seemed like a really nice girl. "Naah, he's a good guy."

Saki chuckled, then looked at her watch. "Oh, my break's just about over. Back to work I go," she turned and waved, quickly heading off.

"Oh—uh-!" Yosuke almost called after her, but then sat down. Still, I could sense quite a bit of happiness on his face. "Hahah, Saki-senpai says I'm annoying, but she's even nosier than me.  
She has a younger brother, and she treats me pretty much the same way…"

"Ohhh, you don't want her treating you like a brother, huh? Oh, I get it… So that's how it is.  
The daughter of a local family-run liquor store and the scion of the invading chain… The flame of forbidden love!" Chie dramatically recited, teasing Yosuke. He was growing redder by the minute.

"Wha-!? Dude, it's not like that," he shifted in his seat.

"Hey, Yosuke," I nudged his arm. "Whether it is or isn't, she seems like a sweet girl."

Yosuke didn't look any less embarrassed, but he smiled a bit. "Yeah, she is.."

Chie sighed. "Great, make me look bad. Oh.. but if we are talking romance, there's something you both gotta try..." she had a mischevious grin on her face. "You ever hear of the Midnight Channel? You're supposed to look into a TV that's switched off, alone, exactly at midnight on a rainy night. While you're staring at your own image, another person will appear on the screen… And they say that person's your soulmate."

Yosuke and I both looked at each other, and busted up laughing. I couldn't contain myself, though Chie didn't look too humored herself.

"Wha- Hey! It's true!" Chie smacked the table with her fist.

"How can you get all excited over such a childish urban legend like that?" Yosuke asked.

I tried to reign myself in. "It's.. just... Chie, when you tell a story like that, you need it dark, with a flashlight under your face.." I was trying to hold in the laughs.

Chie kicked the table, quickly catching our attention. "Well, it's raining tonight! Let's all try it out-then you'll see!" she quickly got up, obviously ready to go. It was getting to be late, so we picked up our stuff to go. After promising Chie several times that we'd try out her 'Midnight Channel,' we parted ways.


	6. Chapter 6: The Midnight Channel

**Hey everyone. Life had gotten in the way, so sorry for the lack of updates, again :P Anyway, last chapter I promised a bonus pic... I had been under the assumption from the image manager, that I could add the photo into the story. I was mistaken, so if you would like to see the bonus picture, please go to my profile, and there should be a link to my art tumblr there. Thanks again everyone!**

**Shorter chapter, but things will definitely pick up next time!**

* * *

The rain started to pound the roof mere moments after I got home. Nanako cheered up a little once I came in, rushing over from the kitchen to greet me. "Oh hey! You're back!" she cheered, hugging me. "Dinner's almost ready."

I looked over, to the quick-preparation dinners that she was finishing up. Oh yeah, she mentioned mostly knowing how to cook eggs. I really couldn't expect a girl her age to have too many recipes in her arsenal. I made a mental note to myself to see about getting her a kid's recipe book.

As per custom, we gathered by the TV to eat once things were done. As I glanced at the time, it was getting later, and Nanako was starting to fall silent.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah..." she sighed. It quickly hit me that she was waiting for Dojima typically he'd have been home by now.

It wasn't much longer of a wait, before the front door opened. Nanako stood up from her seat. "Oh, he's home!"

Dojima dropped off his things by the door, greeting us briefly. He looked completely worn out as he flopped onto the couch. "Did anything happen while I was out?"

"No, you're late again..." Nanako scolded him with pouted lips.

Dojima gave an apologetic look, ruffling Nanako's hair. "I'm sorry... Been busy at work. Could you turn on the news for me?"

I wanted to ask how his work was going, but a lump settled in my stomach. After all, his work right now was a murder case, and I doubted there was anything positive I could construe from that. So I watched the news alongside them.

**= Next, more details in the developing story on the incident in foggy Inaba.**  
**Announcer Mayumi Yamano's dead body was found hanging above a house in this isolated rural town.**  
**It is confirmed that Ms. Yamano had been involved in an affair with Taro Namatame, husband of enka singer Misuzu Hiiragi. =**

That's right, I nearly forgot about the affair since the news of her death. Though normally I try to stay away from celebrity and scandal stories, it was a little more personal now. My eyes glanced over to Uncle Dojima, who was silently intent on the news. I wondered if they were already looking into the possibility of this affair having to do with her death.

Yet, that didn't make things less creepy. The body was hanging off an antenna when they found it. That was far more demented that a jilted lover case.

**= The police plan to investigate this relationship and question any personnel involved with them. In addition, we now bring you an exclusive interview with the local student who found Miss Yamano's body. =**

Dojima grunted in frustration. "An interview with the kid…? Where the hell did they find her?"

"Isn't that.. kind of dangerous? Making a witness known?" I asked.

The news switched to another set, where the interview was set between on of the reporters and a student. I could tell her uniform was like mine, so she was obviously a Yasogami student. However, they blurred her face, and the voice seemed to have been synthesized. I felt a little relief to see they did at least wanted to hide her identity.

**="What went through your mind when you saw it? Could you tell she was dead? Did you see her face?" The reporter asked, energetically.**  
**The student seemed to have been caught off guard by the question. "U-Umm…"**  
**"Don't you think it's scary that someone was killed on a foggy day?" the reporter didn't miss a beat, even though the student didn't seem ready to keep going.**

**"Huh…? She was killed?" =**

Gosh, this interview was a mess. Did they prep the student at all for this?

**="Oh, errr… So did you see anyone suspicious around here?"**  
**"No, not really…"**  
**"We heard that you found it when you left school early. Did you have some personal business to take care of?"**  
**"Huh? That's…" the student was taken by surprise by the personal question. =**

Left school early.. that phrase sounded familiar for some reason. As I studied the girl on the screen, it suddenly clicked. "I know her."

"Hmm?" Dojima looked over.

Even though her face was blurred, I started to recognize the sandy brown curls, and the tone of voice. "That's.. Saki Konishi. I met her earlier today."

Dojima gave another frustrated grunt. "They should know better. Such a small town, if a newbie can recognize her, anyone could."

I felt ice rush down my back a little at that realization. So much for covering her identity. Hopefully, as long as the police were aware of this as well, she should be safe.

**The news switched back to the regular announcer. =A tragedy that occurred near the local shopping district. Many store owners are raising concerns about losing customers as a result… =**

"Hmph. If they lose more customers, it'll be because you're making such a stink about it…" Dojima inserted.

**="It really is a bizarre case, isn't it? I mean, hanging someone upside down from an antenna…**  
**I'd have to say it's a warning or a sign from the culprit."**

**"Yes, but so far, no one has come forward to take credit for the crime." =**

"Loads of prank calls, though…" Dojima yawned as he said this, stretching.

**="So the cause of death is still unknown? And they don't have a single suspect yet?**  
**Taxpayers' funds are going to a police force who can't even figure out if this is an accident or a homicide?"=**

I felt my blood boil. The nerve of these people! This was my uncle they were talking about. Surely the news can understand that the police can't give out all the information they find, so not to give the culprit a chance to get ahead of them. Dojima was oddly silent though.

The news closed out for commercials. The familiar Junes tune came on, with Nanako immediately jumping into it. "Hey Dad… Can we go to Junes together sometime?"

Dojima was still unresponsive.

"Dad?"

I glanced over, about to nudge him, when I heard the tell-tale sound of a snore coming from him. Nanako sighed.

"Well, Nanako," I started, turning the TV off. "Let's clean up. Then we'll have to put this lug to bed."

She chuckled a little, as we started to tidy the place.

* * *

It didn't take long to clean up. I once again attempted to tackle the mess of the dining table, only making a small dent in it. I was still learning where things went in the house, so only could do so much with it. We woke up Dojima to get him to bed. Afterward, Nanako went to bed as well.

I headed up to my room. I could hear the rain pounding outside, and remembered that thing Chie wanted me to test out. On a rainy night, if one stares at a TV screen that's been turned off, then at midnight, the face of your soulmate should appear. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. It seemed such a far-fetched thing for Chie to suggest, but I decided to stay true to my word. Not to mention, I still had barely unpacked. It would keep me busy while I waited.

I finally got my clothes put into the drawers, and hung up a few posters in the room, to make it a little more feminine. As I waited, I even made my bed, despite the fact I would be getting in it within a few moments. Soon I got my whole room straightened up before changing into my pajamas.

Having still an hour to waste, I picked up my portable game system. I always had a love for hero stories. The idea of being able to help right the wrongs of the world and protect others was something I treasured. I often wished there were more girl stories like that.

As 11:55 rolled on, I turned off the lights. In the darkness, the sound of the rain seemed even more prevalent. I picked up one of my plushies, sitting on the couch to wait for midnight. The clock on the wall ticked loudly in the quiet night.

I waited, bouncing the plush on my knees until the clock finally hit midnight. For a moment, there didn't seem to be anything. I shrugged, and was getting up, when suddenly the screen lit up.

There was fuzz and static, with the strange flash of an image. Thoroughly chilled, the screen had my full attention. There was a young woman. She appeared to be struggling against something. I couldn't hear anything other than the static, but she looked to be in pain.

As I stood transfixed at the sight, something, like a high pitched hum caught my ear. It didn't seem to emanate from the TV though, but rather my own head. My own heartbeat caught in my throat, as I heard something. A voice in my head.

_I am thou. Thou art I. Thou art the one who opens the door._

Dizziness overtook me. I quickly grabbed hold of my dresser to keep from tripping on my own feet. What was that? That weird voice..?

As I caught my breath, I looked back up to the screen. It was blank. Whatever was on it died. My heartbeat started to normalize as I studied the screen. Soon, I started to explain to myself what just happened.

In theory, of course. Surely, it was just a signal fluke. Perhaps at midnight, the TV station 'resets' for the day, and a random signal is let out, and the rain amplifies it enough for the TV to randomly pick up. Even though it was off. Yeah, that... totally makes sense? As for the voice...

Well, that I didn't have an explanation for. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to come from the TV. I turned on the dial, to see if the same image would show up. Instead, it was the regular midnight news channel. Sighing, I switched it back off. I ran my hand over the screen, trying to figure it out.

I was startled, as the screen gave under my fingers, my hand sinking into the screen as though it were some sort of liquid. I yelped, as something seemed to pull at my hand. I barely caught onto my dresser, shutting my eyes as I pulled back against the mysterious force, which had me shoulders up into the screen. I wouldn't dare open my eyes though, as I finally won over. I fell back out of the screen, knocking into the work table with a thud. "Oww-!" I gritted my teeth, rubbing my head.

"Are you okay?!" I heard the young voice of Nanako outside my door. I grunted, forcing myself to my feet. I quickly looked to the TV, which was back to it's normal appearance, before opening the door. Nanako stood there in her pajamas, looking concerned. I put a smile on. "Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry. Did I wake you up?"

The small girl nodded. "I heard you scream, and then there was a thud... I didn't know if I should get dad.."

"Not this time, but thank you..." I paused, thinking for a moment. I couldn't help but feel better, knowing she was so concerned. Not that the scare completely settled out of me. In fact, I wasn't sure I wanted to stay in my room. "Say, Nanako? Have you ever had a sleepover?"

She shook her head. "Dad's hardly here as it is, so it's hard to have people over."

"Well, what if we have our own sleepover? I'll come over to your room, is that okay?"

Nanako looked surprised, before a big smile overtook her face. "Wow! Okay!"

So I quickly grabbed my pillow and blanket, before making my way to Nanako's room. Pushing the events out of my mind for now, Nanako and I sat up, talking about little things such as school and hobbies, before finally snuggling in to bed. Before I fell asleep, I wondered how I could explain this to Yosuke and Chie tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7: The TV World

**Hey everyone! I know it's been a while. Real life is a mess sometimes. Anyway, I'm planning to do some editing to previous chapters, so some chapter numbers might change as I combine some of them. Other than hopefully strengthening the protagonist in the earlier chapters, there shouldn't be any drastic changes that would change the story. Anyway, thanks and enjoy!**

* * *

The thoughts of what had occurred the previous night kept rushing through my head. The woman being attacked on the Midnight Channel, the strange voice that entered by head, and almost being sucked into the TV.

Of course, I tried to find reasonable explanations for all these things. Image on the TV was likely, again, some sort of random signal that the rain amplified enough for a shut off TV to pick up. As for the the voice? Maybe I was just tired, and hearing things.

Nearly being pulled into the TV? No matter what, I couldn't think up any way to explain it. I'd chalk it up to a dream, but it felt far too real for me to be asleep. In fact, I barely slept at all last night. Though I remained calm for Nanako's sake, the chills kept rushing down my back. It was enough to got back into my room to grab my uniform for the day.

Thankfully, school was normal. I arrived just on time, so I didn't get a chance to speak with Chie or Yosuke. Chie herself seemed to look excited, whereas Yosuke looked unnerved. I wondered if they had seen anything as well. I pushed the thoughts of the previous night away, trying to focus on the lesson.

* * *

As class ended, the students gathered quickly into their groups to talk. First thing up was the murder again, with the bizarre position of the body, and who the anonymous student on the news was. Though Saki's name was already being tossed about. I hoped she wasn't being harassed up in her own class.

Yosuke awkwardly shuffled over from his desk, having a hard time looking at me. "Y-Yo. Um… It's, uh, it's not really that important, but…" he was obviously having trouble putting together his thoughts. "Well, yesterday on TV, I… Oh, uhh… Never mind. Look, I'll tell you later. Aha-"

"About that-" I started, but Chie was quick to pop over.

"Yosuke, did you hear the rumor?" the excitement was bubbling over with her. "Saki-senpai's supposedly the one who discovered that body."

His brows knitted, shifting his weight. "I wonder if that's why she looked so down… She doesn't seem to be at school today either."

"I don't blame her. With this case being such a huge thing for Inaba, people are going to be constantly reminding her of this. Add that to the trauma of finding a hanging body in the first place," my mind was already analyzing the situation. Unfortunately, this seemed to increase the worry on Yosuke's face.

Chie distractedly nodded, glancing back to Yukiko, who was already heading out. "Huh? Hey Yukiko, are you helping out at the inn today too?"

The black-haired girl in red turned back to us, and it was obvious she was worn down. Her normally reserved nature was even less energetic, and the make-up hiding the circles under her eyes needed to reapplied. "Things are really out of hand right now… I'm sorry." Yukiko mumbled.

We bid her goodbye as she left the classroom. "Is it just me, or does Yukiko-san seem way stressed out today?" Yosuke asked.

"I guess they're running her ragged..." Chie sighed, but then her infectious smile came back as she leaned in close, whispering with glee. "By the way, did you see… it… last night?"

Yosuke was taken back in surprise at the question. "Huh…? Uh, well… What about you?"

"I did! I seriously saw a girl!" Chie bounced, but then frowned in thought. "But… my soulmate's a girl? What's that supposed to mean? I couldn't quite tell who it was, but it was a girl for sure…"

I winced slightly at Chie's lack of thought to this beforehand. "Well, I mean.. are you into girls?"

"Noo! I mean, I don't think. It's never come up, and.." Chie once again seemed to have to go into deep thought about this. "I'm pretty sure no..."

"It's alright, I'm joking," I waved her to relax. "Actually, I saw a girl too. Yosuke?"

He seemed hesitant at first, but nodded. "Yeah, I saw one too."

Chie gasped. "So we all saw it?"

"But did we see the same girl?" I asked. "What did yours look like, Chie?"

"Oh! Well, her hair was brown, about shoulder length. She was wearing our school uniform, and..."

Yosuke nodded, "I think that's the same person I saw. I couldn't make out that much detail, though. The image I saw was much blurrier…"

"Same here," I answered.

Chie clapped her hands together, but then a confused look came across her face. "Wait, if we all saw the same girl... do we all have the same soulmate?"

A chuckle escaped me. "I.. don't think that's the case. I mean, I have a theory about what it is. Possibly a rogue satellite or cable signal that is accidentally sent out at midnight, when the stations reset? And the rain amplifies it, which causes it to actually power the TV during those few moments?"

It still wasn't a perfect explanation, with much assuming on my part, but Yosuke listened intently, finally smiling.

"Well, that explains it," he laughed. "I knew there wasn't some sort of weird mystical soulmate detector in the TV."

"B-but-!" Chie was distraught to have her story cut down.

I tried to calm her down. "Still, just stay with me a second, Chie. That doesn't explain the other things..."

Yosuke and Chie glanced at each other, then leaned in intently. "Other things?"

Then I realized that neither of them had mentioned the voices, or the TV sucking them in. Still, I had already started, and they were listening. Hopefully they had some idea what I was talking about, so I didn't sound like a complete nutcase.

"There were.. voices. Not from the TV though.. it was in my head. Something like 'Thou art I, I am thou'.. And then when I touched the screen.. I nearly got pulled into it."

There was a moment of silence, which I assumed was for the mourning of my lost dignity.

"You know.. for a bit, you were sounding really smart there," Yosuke clucked his tongue, with a smirk. "Maybe you fell asleep in front of your TV?"

Chie nodded. "That'd be a really interesting dream. Imagine if you had a huge TV that you could dive into-" she suddenly had a change of thought. "Ohhh, that reminds me. Our family's been talking about buying a bigger TV."

"Oh yeah? Well, flatscreen TVs are definitely in these days," Yosuke affirmed. "Wanna go check 'em out on the way back? We're beefing up our electronics department this month.

Chie was exuberant. "Oh, definitely! My parents don't know anything about electronics, and I've gotta see my kung-fu movies on the big screen! Hwa-taaaa!" she let off a swift kick in the air. I felt bad for anyone having to be on the other end of one of her kicks.

"We've got some pretty big ones in stock. I bet they'd be big enough for you to dive into, hehe," he grinned at me.

I sighed. Third day in school, I've managed to make a complete fool of myself. I didn't think I could live this one down. Still, they invited me to come along with them, so I hadn't destroyed my reputation on the whole.

* * *

We arrived at Junes, heading up to the electronics department. Past the large rows of movies and games, we came to the back wall lined with flat-screen TVs. I felt my heart jump into my chest, though I tried not to let Yosuke and Chie see. I hoped I wasn't going to have a life-long phobia of TVs.

Chie eagerly stood infront of a large 70 inch flat-screen. "Wow, this is huge! And... Holy crap, it's expensive! Who buys something like this?"

"I dunno… Rich folks?" Yosuke shrugged. "Honestly, not many people shop for TVs here. That's why we don't have clerks around."

"Huh… Not worth trying then, I guess. Well, at least looking's free," Chie sighed. She and Yosuke suddenly exchanged a wry look, before they both leaned over, placing their hands on the screen.

"…Nope, can't get in. Figures," he chuckled.

I sent a glare to them. "A plague on both your houses," I mumbled.

"Besides, these flat-screen TVs are so thin, you'd just end up on the other side…" he looked around the screen, then caught himself. "What am I saying? So, Chie. What kind of TVs are you guys in the market for?"

"O-Oh, they said they wanted one that's cheap. You got any suggestions?"

Yosuke lead her over to some smaller ones toward the end, taking the role of the helpful clerk. I continued to sulk where I was, staring back at the large TV before me.

Surely there was an explanation. I knew I wasn't asleep, but things like getting sucked into the TV just don't happen. There was no reason I should be scared of this thing in front of me. So I took a deep breath, reaching out to the TV. I waited for the moment when my fingertips would contact against the smooth screen.

It didn't happen. Just as before my hand sunk into the screen, as if it were some sort of liquid. Not only that, but I should have been able to feel the back of the TV, but it seemed like there was a great expanse of space.

I could barely get my brain to work right. I should have called out to my friends, but my mind was just reeling to explain the impossible feat I was performing.

"Oh, Miyu, what kind of TV do you-?" I could barely hear Yosuke's question, when they looked over, and realized what was going on. "Is her arm in the TV?!"

They both rushed over, staring with wide eyes. "Whoa… Uhhh… Is that some kinda… new model? L-Like with a new function?" Chie asked with a stammer.

"Hell no!" Yosuke was freaking out.

"So you're both seeing this too.. Good. I'm not crazy.." I controlled my breathing, to calm myself down.

"You got to be kidding me... Did you really stick your hand through a screen?" Chie asked, the wheels in her head trying to catch up.

Yosuke could barely believe it. "Oh man… This is for real… That's some magic trick!  
So how's it work, huh!? What's the magician's secret!?"

"It's not a trick.. I don't think..." I answered. At the moment, it occurred to me that I wasn't being pulled in, like the previous night. As it sunk in with me, I started to wonder more about what was through the screen. I had my eyes closed before in the panic, and didn't really see much. "Chie, hold my hand, alright?"

"H-hold your hand, what-?" she asked, though taking hold of my free hand. When she did so, I leaned in, sticking my head into the screen.

"H-hey, don't do that! What're you doing?!" I could hear Yosuke shouting, slightly muffled through the screen. I opened my eyes, looking about the other side.

There wasn't much I could see. A heavy fog seemed to cloud most of the view. All I could tell was the space in there was quite large. I couldn't detect a wall in the near distance.

I could still hear Chie and Yosuke freaking out on the other side. "Hey, I'm okay..!" I called back. "There's a strange empty space inside..."

"Wh-What do you mean, "inside"!?" Yosuke exclaimed.  
"Wh-What do you mean, "empty space"!?" Chie shrilled.

I barely heard Yosuke mention something about his bladder. I cocked an eyebrow, but decided that a strange TV journey is probably sufficient cause to affect certain body functions. The hand Chie wasn't holding took hold of the TV edge, about to pull myself out.

Just then, Yosuke screamed something about customers. At that moment, I remembered we were in a public store. I couldn't see what happened, but there was panicked sounds from the two of them, and suddenly I was bumped into from behind. I lost my balance, holding tightly to Chie's hand as I suddenly plummeted forward into the TV.

* * *

I wasn't sure how far I fell before hitting the hard ground. I would assume not too far, as injuries were minimal aches. I wasn't the only one though. Chie and Yosuke had both managed to fall in along with me. I'm not sure how exactly, but at the moment, I was more worried about where we were.

The fog was still thick about us, with a few scaffolds and lights in sight. It appeared almost like a studio set. I glanced at the ground, and felt the cold shiver run through my body. There were outlines of people on the ground, looking much like a crime scene, except there were almost a dozen of them.

I quickly turned back to Chie and Yosuke, who were both rubbing their aches after the fall. "Haa... So... We're still alive... right?" the spunky girl asked nervously as she stood up.

"Yeah, are you both alright?" I asked. I felt so guilty. This was due to my weird ability they got pulled in here.

Yosuke groaned. "I think my butt's cracked now..." he grimaced. Chie scolded him, but I was thankful for the bit of humor. It meant he was fine. He looked about the surroundings. "Woahh."

"Wh-What now!? Did you wet your pants!?" Chie winced.

"Uh, probably not our high priority right now..." I added.

He shook his head at Chie. "No, stupid! Look around!"

Both of them started to take in the limited view. "Is.. this a studio? All this fog… Or is it smoke?  
There's no place like this in Inaba, is there…?"

"I... don't think we're in Inaba anymore," I squinted, trying to see more through the fog.

"But man… this place is huge…" Yosuke spoke in awe.

Chie wasn't as enthralled. "What're we gonna do…?"

"Obviously, we need to find a way out," I strategized.

Chie nodded. "Right... H-Huh…? Wait a minute… Which way did we come in from? I don't see a way in… or out!"

"Just a moment.. We fell in. So obviously we came from-" I looked upward. But past the scaffolding, I couldn't see anything. Not even a ceiling, much less an entryway.

Yosuke chided in exasperation, "If it's someway up there, it's way too high to reach! We can't even see how high this place goes, or how far for that matter!"

Chie was nearly on the verge of tears. Yosuke was getting antsy. Not to mention I got them into this mess. I figured I best take charge of the situation. "Okay, let's calm down. There must be some way out. We're just going to have to go look for it."

"Yeah.. we need to find an exit. Leave it to our hero to take the reins." Yosuke took a deep breath.

Chie didn't know what to make of this nickname, but didn't focus on it long. "Is there really a way out of here...?"

"Well..." I started down a walkway. "We'll never know unless we find it."

"Right, we'll cross our fingers," Yosuke nodded.

So the three of us started into the fog, hoping for some sign to lead us back home.


End file.
